Paul Owen ... between a rock and a hard place

A change of format - but hopefully not of direction!

2012-01-20T03:52:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since I updated this blog .... where does the time go?
An awful lot has happened in the time I've "been away"! The biggest change is that I've moved to digital photography and fully embraced what this technology can offer.
The reasons for my move are many but the bottom line is that digital photography meets my photographic needs; large format was starting to constrict me.
I'm dabbling with both stills and HD Video too! Current plans are a book and a short film taken during my forthcoming trip to Iceland.
I will keep you posted!

My portable darkroom

2010-01-30T03:20:00.000-08:00

Ever since I "lost" my wet darkroom with a house move some 6 years ago I've hankered after a darkroom - there is definitely something "womb-like" about it and I've always felt "at peace" when I'm inside one!

My transition to a hybrid workflow; film - development - scanning - printing with inkjet calmed my "need" for the dark but over recent months I've been toying with the idea of trying alternative photographic processes using contact printing; I really want to try Platinum/Palladium! My plan is to use negatives produced digitally with the Epson 3800 printer up to approximately 10x14 inches and contact print them.

Last year I managed to track down a very nice (used) contact-printing frame from Ed Buziak (Darkroom User fame) and it arrived from France in perfect condition! It has sat unused ever since quietly waiting for a darkroom!

I advertised on a number of LF Forums enquiring as to whether anyone was selling a Nova Portable Darkroom; basically an inflatable tent with a pole frame. No luck! Theye are available new from Nova but they have a £500+ price tag and I didn't fancy one that much!

Patience paid off (good old Ebay!) and I managed to bid and win one for the princeley sum of £90.00 ... bargain!

Three large-ish parcels arrived a few days later (£30 for courier!) and I wondered what I'd let myself in for - certainly didn't look "portable"!

Box 1 - set of telescopic poles that lock together to form the outer frame; Box 2 - electric blower fan to inflate tent; Box 3 - the tent itself.

I proceeded to set it up ...

1. Unzip carry bag (the bag actually forms the floor of the tent);
2. Attach electric blower and switch on - remarkably quiet!;
3. Tent starts to inflate (slowly);
4. Assemble poles;
5. 5 minutes and tent fully inflated - poles fed into sleeves and fitted in place
6. Done!

It is MASSIVE!!!!!! Firstly I've discovered it's not a Nova - I'm guessing that its a Durst that preceeded the Nova; the Nova has a simpler door than this one - this has a curved vestibule entrance and is bigger than the Nova by at least 6 inches in all dimensions. (The accompanying photo to this blog shows the Nova version!)

Inside is kitted out with a window - complete with roll down cover, a pair of lightproof tubes for electric cabling, hanging tabs from the ceiling for safelight and wall-mounted pockets for bits and bobs!

Inside it is DARK - thankfully! The electric motor serves to inflate the tent and adds a ventilation system to it; the roof has a 4 foot long light-proof fabric tube that expels waste air - it can be hung out of a window! The whole structure is ideal and very comfortable but it does take up most of the kitchen space in the house!

What's more it is very lightweight and easily packable. Assembly was a simple affair with just one person - although my wife did pop her head into the kitchen during the initial inflation but left quickly with her head shaking slowly!

Ebay has also come to the rescue with a (new) foldable table; 100x60cms surface area and adjustable height up to 95cms .... all for £40 delivered.

Now then ... where did I hide that contact printing frame!

Nifty gadget?

2010-01-22T09:19:00.000-08:00

Using a large format camera is a real pleasure ... but there are times when it can be a pain in the rear! The whole process of taking a photograph with a viewcamera is like a carefully orchestrated ballet; okay maybe not a ballet but it does involve a number of planned moves and lord help you if you miss a stage out!

However, the main difference between photography with large format and (say) digital is the plethora of bits and pieces of gear that are needed to take the photograph! Photography should be simple .... yeah right! A DSLR and tripod might be simple enough but take a look in any LF photographers bag (usually a whopping Lowepro Trekker) and you'll see what I mean.

Once the camera/lens combination is set up on the tripod and the scene composed out come the gadgets! I'm talking dark cloth, light meter, filters, filter holders/adapters, lens hood, sheet film holders/double dark slides, roll film backs and rolls of 120 film, cable release, spirit level, lens cloth/brush, pen/notebook (to record exposure details), coffee maker, case of champagne, cuddly toy (aaahhh) and the list goes on.

Now being equipped with just one pair of hands I've always taken photographs by making sure that I've got the open backpack nearby the tripod so that all these "essentials" are close at hand;fine if you're on terra firma but what happens when you decide to venture into water? I'm only talking wading to knee-deep here but nevertheless this dictates that the said camera bag is likely to be some feet away or out of easy reach.

I can hear you ... use a photovest!

Now I've tried them ... and to be honest I always feel a bit of a nerd! Photovests are fine if you're a budding photojournalist in a war zone but they do (when I wear one) look ridiculous. Once I've filled the pockets with what I need I look like the "Michelin Man" and I've yet to find one that suits the LF user - the pockets are way too small for things like darkslides/Quickload holders.

I've always been on the lookout for something to carry my "bits" when the camera bag is not immediately to hand; I've tried smaller shoulder bags in the past and they can hold a bit of gear but they tend to be bulky and not ideal when ducking back and forth beneath a darkcloth; the same goes for the "bumbag-type" of bag, they don't move but don't hold much gear either!

I also tried the Silvestri Tripod Apron and this was almost the answer to my prayers - but too few pockets and those that it had were a bit too small - I'm fussy I know!

Enter... the "Chestvest" from a US-based company called "Newswear". At first glimpse it does look something akin to a military flak jacket but bear with me and I'll try and convince you otherwise! The idea behind the vest is that it incorporates a lightweight but heavy-duty harness with an "apron" of lightly-padded pouches designed to take large lenses for.....news teams? However, the pockets are perfect for my "bits"!
The two central pockets are bellowed and will comfortably accept three 5x7 double dark slides in each or I can get my Canham 6x17 motorised roll film back in one and the ground glass screen from the Titan XL in the other ... happy days!
The two central pockets are flanked by smaller pockets that will comfortably hold a light meter and Lee filters/filter holders. The flaps of these pouches are also pockets for smaller items like cable releases, spirit levels etc.
Most importantly for me the whole assembly is quite comfortable to wear - despite the harness not being padded. It means that I can "load up" and wade out without having to return to the bank/shore/backpack to take the photograph!

Ilford Delta 100 ... my film of choice.

2010-01-16T15:10:00.000-08:00

As a committed black and white photographer I've narrowed my choice of film down over the years and have (finally) found my "holy grail" ... Ilford's Delta 100.
Many years ago my fave film was Agfa'a APX 25; an outstanding film, grainless and with a pleasing tonality and although I only used 120 roll film (in a 6x12 film back) it made lovely prints. It became discontinued a few years back, a victim of the impending arrival of digital and I've lamented my loss ever since!
When I moved to 5x4 I tried both Ilford FP4 Plus and Delta 100 and stuck firmly with the latter; developed in Paterson FX-39 - a lovely combination.
So for the last few years my film stock has been Delta 100 in 5x4 and also in 120 roll film (in a 6x17 Art Panorama back).
However, my move to 5x7 meant that trying to find Delta 100 in this format was nigh on impossible - plenty of FP4 Plus and Efke film stock but (despite showing as being manufactured by Ilford) the only Delta 100 to be found was across the pond.
I decided to stick with FP4 Plus but very soon noticed a few shortcomings when comparing images shot on both films in 120 format on the Canham 6x17 film back. The FP4 Plus was struggling to keep up with Delta 100 in the shadow department as well as being somewhat "grainier".
Having asked advice on the UKLF forum I decided to try shipping some Delta 100 (5x7) from the US; at about £85 (plus tax plus import duties) it would certainly not be cheap!
just before ordering a forum member suggested contacting Ilford as they were listing 5x7 on their UK website. This made sense as the film is made here in the UK!
A check on their website showed Delta 100 5x7 (box of 100 sheets) as a stock item! A hasty telephone call revealed that this format was in fact a special order and not normally a stock item? However, a check revealed that they did in fact hold this film in stock?? Great (I thought) and enquired as to the price. £175 plus VAT for a box of 100 sheets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not to worry, Jo C to the rescue! A quick phone call to one of her contacts at Ilford meant that I was able to get 2 boxes (200 sheets) for the princely sum of £200 all in!
The film arrived 2 days later - excellent service.
BUT I ask myself the question, "why is it so difficult to purchase film in the UK" especially one that's manufactured here?
For those who may be interested? I rate the film at 100 ASA and develop it in Ilford Perceptol (1:1). I tend to underdevelop my film as I find it scans better; allowing for the continuous agitation of the Orbital Processor and this further reduction I find that developing times run to about 13 minutes.

Glencoe ... in the snow!

2010-01-03T06:45:00.000-08:00

Following a heavy dumping of snow over much of the north of Britain, a quick check on the Kingshouse Hotel webcam showed that Glencoe was heavily covered in the white stuff - time for a visit up north!
Having nursed a particularly severe case of "Man Flu" throughout the latter part of December the only time left for a visit was over the New Year period - thank goodness for an understanding wife ... or is she simply glad to see the back of me?
With a room booked at the Kingshouse Hotel from 31st December for a couple of days I made the long trek from South Wales to Glencoe in a shade under 10 hours. I arrived in total darkness but the degree of snow cover was obvious; almost knocked down a deer on the A82 across Rannoch Moor too - they are really big when viewed from close up!
New Year's Day was bright and crisp with light snow flurries and litle wind - but with heavily overcast skies calculating exposure would be interesting - as would composition - all the foreground was .... you guessed it ... snow covered!
Ventured up to Lochan Na' Achlaise and old favourite; been done to death but in these conditions offering me a new perspective from previous visits. I came here a few years ago and the temperatures meant that the water in the Lochs had frozen but this visit combined the same low temperatures with heavy coverings of snow too. Another problem quickly arose - where was slid ground and where was snow covering a multitiude of nasties; rocks, holes, water!
As usual the silence was rewarding until a group of photographers arrived to join me at this popular location ... and proceeded to walk across the frozen loch to get a closer viewpoint to the now-famous "tree on the island". Now I'm not sure how deep the water is but a foolish move perhaps? But they were using digital cameras so probably can be forgiven their stupidity!
For anyone who knows the area the beauty of Glencoe is that many superb locations are accessible from the road and at other times there are usually plenty of parking spaces on verges - but the heavy snowfall combined with the work of the ploughs had meant that the verges were now high embankments that did not allow easy parking!
I managed to expose 8 sheets of 5x7 (Ilford FP 4 Plus) along with 3 rolls of Ilford Delta 100 (in 120 roll film in the 6x17cms format) PLUS 2 rolls of colour negative film!! (a first for me).
The Walker performed admirably in these cold conditions; it seemed to thrive on snow and I had none of the problems associated and previously experienced with wooden cameras in such low temperatures. It makes a difference, to me anyway, not having to worry about expensive kit getting wet! On a number of occasions the camera ended up with a festive layer of snow covering whilst set up and waiting for "the" shot; the lens was protected with a Lee Wide Angle Hood so everyone was happy! The Canham 6x17 film back ran out of juice very quickly in such temperatures but a fresh battery and a gel hand warmer taped to the battery compartment solved the problem!
I use both the 120mm Nikon and the 210mm Schneider for the photographs I took and both performed flawlessly too.
I had a bit of a tragedy within the first hour or so of my trip with my Gossen Starlite meter - I inadvertantly stepped on it thinking I had put it safely in the pocket of my down jacket! I hadn't and a backwards step meant that it received the full force of my "full frame" whilst wearing a pair of plastic climbing boots too! Not a pretty sight ... the meter NOT me!
Thankfully the back-up had been brought along - a simple Sekonic Digilite L328; a meter that I rarely need to use and one which I always wondered as to its suitability for large format work; it has no memory or average function and it only measures ambient light in shutter-priority mode whereas I tend to favour aperture-priority metering. However it was fitted with a 5 degree spot metering attachment so it's versatility was improved.
Tragedy Number 2 ... whilst traipsing back to the car in (quickly) disappearing evening light across Rannoch Moor I was hastily following my previous footprints in virgin snow as my outward path had proved without hidden surprises! When a carefully placed foot disappeared through the snow and promptly continued to break the ice layer covering the stream that I had inadvertantly walked across and continued through until I was up to my groin in a combination of freezing peat/water/ice slush. Extracting myself was fun as I was carrying a fully laden Lowepro Super Trekker on my back and my Gitzo tripod in my hand!
Thankfully there were no witnesses to this event and 10 minutes later I was warming up back in the car!
I've processed some of the film and I'm really pleased!
The attached image is a view across Rannoch Moor as evening approaches (well approximately 4pm) taken on the Walker 5x7 on a sheet of Ilford FP4 Plus in 5x7 format. I composed the image with the 6x17cms back and planned to use Ilford Delta 100 but the image was too narrow; so the composition in-camera was a cropped 5x7 ... about 9x17cms! Lens used was the Nikon 120mm with a Lee Yellow/Orange (16) filter to try and put some depth to the sky. The exposure was 1/2 second at f32.

Equipment changes!

2009-12-12T05:13:00.000-08:00

As I'm getting more and more "into" the 5x7 format I've made a few "minor" changes to the kit I use. Gone is the Nikon 75mm and the Schneider 150mm to be replaced by a (lovely) Nikon 120mm f8 and a Schneider 210mm Apo Symmar; both these lenses are far more suited to the larger format!
I'm also trying out the 13x18cms format (the European equivalent of 5x7) as I bought some of this film (cheap!) and managed to buy some equally cheap film holders for it too! These film holders are the same size as 5x7 holders but with a different sized internal design for the slightly larger 13x18 film.
Finding film is not a real issue - as long as black and white is your bag! But having the option of either 13x18 or 5x7 is a bonus!

First Print - Epson 3800

2009-12-12T05:08:00.001-08:00

First "print" from the Epson 3800.
Shot on 6x17 film (Ilford Delta 100). Location: Iceland (Dyrholaey).
The quality of prints from the 3800 is outstanding!

Kicking and screaming into the digital age!

2009-10-31T03:17:00.001-07:00

Well. I've finally gone and done it ... got myself a "proper" printer - an Epson 3800!

I've procrastinated for the last year or so since getting an Epson V700 scanner but I've finally bitten the bullet.

If I'm honest the reason for the delay was a in-built, deep-rooted fear of technology! I was 100% sure I wouldn't be able to get it started and if I did then I had nightmares about what I could achieve from a printer. Having judged camera club competitions from 2001 I had seen some "suspect" inkjet printing and was sure that I would follow suit.

I cut my teeth on traditional printmaking and was happy with the level of expertise I had reached - even managing to sell a number of my monochrome landscapes over the years too! However, a forced house move meant that I lost space for a new darkroom so I entered my "wilderness" years.

Two years or so ago I sent a few of my 5x4 negatives to my good friend Joanna Carter - she has alone convinced me that inkjet printing is far superior to traditional wet printing! She produced scans and prints from my negs that were way better than those I produced in the darkroom and I'm no slouch in the dark!! I used a wall-mounted, fan-cooled enlarger with top quality Schneider lenses so certainly not lacking in the equipment department either!

About a year ago I purchased an Epson V700 scanner and tried to master it! I'm still trying!
I can get "okayish" scans from it from my LF negs but not seeing prints "in the flesh" was always a bit of a disappointment - but I was too worried about splashing out on a printer as I was convinced that my technophobia would ensure I produced "rubbish".

I had narrowed the choice down to an Epson 2400 - then Epson discontinued it! It's replacement; the 2880 seemed an improvement but the general concensus was that the ink cartridges were too small/expensive. The answer seemed to lie in the 3800 - an A2 sized printer offering bigger/cheaper ink cartridges and the option of printing to A2 in size! But these were expensive - nearly a grand! I felt I couldn't justify this sort of outlay so delayed purchase.

Then I found a company offering the 3800 for a shade under £750 - with a full set of ink. I ordered one along with a Spyder 3 monitor calibration device - another piece of technology to fret over!

It was delivered next day - massive box!

I then spent a very fraught couple of hours - more like 4! Setting it up.
Calibrated my monitor - dead easy!!
Unpacked the printer - huge!
Re-arranged desk to house it along with scanner, keyboard, monitor etc.
Note to self - buy cordless keyboard/mouse.
Set printer up - no mean feat as the manual is a pdf download and I'm a visual learner so need the instructions to hand!
Eventually, after much trial and error produced my first print ... amazing!!!!!!!!!

The detail on the print is incredible. I was able to compare it alongside a print I made a few years ago in the darkroom with one that Joanna made on her Epson.

The difference is mind-blowing!

What's more, I had the same feeling of nervous excitement/anticipation watching the print chugg out of the Epson as I did watching the image materialise in a tray of developer.

I am converted!

Iceland 2010 ... cancelled

2009-08-12T03:59:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately the proposed workshop in Iceland has been cancelled.
The blame lies with the current economic climate which has meant that as more people dropped out the prices kept rising ... dramatically.
The problem with Iceland is that it's always been an expensive place to visit - although my trip in April this year was the cheapest and this was only due to the fact that I managed to find a good deal on vehicle rental.
Vehicle rental is extortionate in Iceland. As an example, to rent a standard 4x4 for 10 days is well in excess of £2500! Add on collision damage waiver, gravel damage waiver and the costs increase even more ... then there's fuel costs too.
Oh well ... looks like Iceland will have to wait a while.

Iceland in 2010

2009-07-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

I am organising a trip to Iceland for a group of photographers from the UK Large Format Photography Group (UKLFPG) in June/July 2010. Having been fortunate enough to visit Iceland twice before (thanks to Carrie & Blossom) I have equipment lists that some may find useful?

Airline luggage allowances vary; Icelandair allows 20kgs of checked luggage (in the hold) per person plus carry-on hand luggage of 1 item no larger than 55x35x25cms (with a max weight of 6kgs) plus a "handbag" (this is the clever bit... more later!). The cost for excess luggage is £8.00 per kilo and this is for hold luggage - they don't allow excess hand luggage*

The secret to flying (cheaply) with Large Format camera equipment is as follows:

wear as many clothes as you can on the flight! Sounds daft but Iceland in June/July has similar weather conditions to the UK in March/April as far as temperature and rainfall is concerned so walking boots, fleece jacket should be worn on the plane thus increasing available weight in checked luggage.
stuff all available pockets with film! Never pack it in checked-luggage or it will get zapped by X-rays!
be realistic in what camera equipment you pack.

From previous experiences this is how I plan on travelling to Iceland next year:

On the flight I wear-

Pair of cargo pants (big pockets for film!)
T-shirt
Fleece Jacket
Walking boots
Photo vest* (yeah I know it looks geeky and I do feel a complete idiot BUT the amount of film you can get in those big pockets is awesome and it keeps the weight of your hand-luggage down too! If I find I need more room for film than I have in my hand luggage then on comes the Photo Vest)
small document wallet on lanyard around my neck for passport, credit cards, healthcare card, phone, cash, travel docs.

My checked luggage is carried in a Jansport Cargo Hold wheeled holdall - it's massive! This contains the following:

5 x T-shirts
5 x undies!
4 pairs thick socks
Ron Hill Trackster leggings
Buff Head scarf - protect the bald "nogging" from the sun!
Karrimor Lightweight waterproof jacket
Crocs
First Aid kit
micro towel - super quick drying and packs small
phone charger for car
pacsafe for camera bag
maps
Gitzo CF 3541XLS tripod - dismantled to reduce chance of damage
Arca Swiss B2 monoball head
Peli 1400 case - holds sheet film holders, cable releases, light meter and other photographic bits and pieces that need protecting like filters etc!
camera cleaning kit (Iceland is wet and dusty and a basic kit of cleaning fluid, lenspens, microfibre cloths and blowers is essential)
darkcloth - a 10x8 Blackjacket.
Harrison Changing Tent

My hand luggage contains all my photo gear as I don't trust baggage handlers! I pack everything in a Tamrac Adventure 10 rucksack* - within carry-on size (just) and although the entire pack and contents is over the 6kg limit I've never had it checked so fingers crossed! It will hold:

Walker 5x7 camera
Canham 6x17 film back
Schneider 110mm XL in Photobackpacker lens case
Schneider 150mm f5.6 in Pb case
Fuji 250mm f6.3 in Pb case
boxes of 120 roll film are used to fill any available gaps!

That's it! All the sheet film will be carried in the Photo Vest and sheet film holders in checked holdall. I will probably sneek a couple of 5x7 sheet film holders in the handluggage as insurance!

Ladies and Gents can also employ the additional "handbag" option if you need to carry more kit! Icelandair don't specify what is meant by a "handbag" and as long as it's not much bigger than a laptop bag then all seems well. If you need to carry boxes of sheet film then the "laptop bag" is a good bet as they can be picked up cheaply for a few quid and will hold a surprising amount of film.
Happy Days!

My current kit!

2009-07-15T22:46:00.000-07:00

The last few months have seen a flurry of activity in buying/selling/culling of equipment!

My current kit is as follows:

Walker 5x7 Titan XL with standard and wide angle bellows;
Walker 5x7 to 5x4 reducing back;
Walker Recessed Lens Panel (to allow use of the 75mm);
Canham motorised 6x17 roll film back;
Nikon 75mm f4.5;
Schneider 110mm XL;
Schneider 150mm Apo-Symmar;
Fuji 250mm f6.3;

I've still got loads of bits and pieces that are now surplus to requirements - it's amazing what you accumulate over the years; at the time they were "must have's" but most are just proof of good marketing!

I've abandoned my beloved Ebony!

2009-07-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

I've been a staunch supporter and user of Ebony View Cameras - my first LF camera in 1999 was an Ebony SW45; a superb camera with all the movements I needed and superlight to carry! I then got seduced by the outstanding 45SU ... marketed as "the ultimate wooden camera". In my opinion and experience this is still without doubt the "best" 5x4 available and despite many challenges to the usefullness of the asymmetric movements it proved to be my ideal camera ... for a while ...

The big problem was the value of the thing! It was a wooden camera with a price tag in excess of £4400 and if I'm honest I would get palpitations whenever it left the house. Plus, it was so pretty! It didn't look like a camera; Hiromi truly created works of art in his designs and so I tended to leave it "safe" in its box and it didn't get anywhere near the use it deserved.

My other major issue was also a gradual change in film format!

Over the years I'd tried both 5x4 and 10x8 sheet film formats as well as 6x17 (both in a roll film back and in a Fuji GX617) and found that 10x8 was too heavy/cumbersome in the field - needed a pack-horse to cart the stuff around! So I'd stayed with 5x4 and 6x17.

Recently I've been using the 6x17 in preference to the 5x4 as I found the square format difficult to compose with - I've always had a thing about panoramas! As you probably know, a frame of 6x17 is about half the size of a sheet of 5x7 and the more I used the 6x17 it became obvious that 5x7 was my "ideal" format?

Checked the price on an Ebony 5x7.

When I'd recovered from the shock the hunt was on for an alternative and I realised that my loyalty to the Ebony brand was waning.

How do you find a camera that can match the quality of construction of an Ebony? With great difficulty! However my worries were short-lived, I found a worthy alternative in the shape of Mike Walker's "Titan 5x7 XL".

I sold the Ebony - I made sure it went to a good home with someone with previous experience of looking after an Ebony! I'm still adamant that they are the ultimate in wooden cameras ... even if they do cost the earth!

Developing large format sheet film in a Paterson Orbital Processor

2009-07-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

Having recently moved to the 5x7 inch format and not having access to a darkroom, I found myself needing a way of processing these larger negatives. I'd used a Combiplan Tank for my 5x4 negs and I needed a alternative approach as there were no commercially available daylight tanks available for anything larger than 5x4 sheet film.

Enter the Paterson Orbital Processor! Originally designed for processing sheets of colour paper of various sizes it is also the ideal way of processing sheets of film - up to 10x8 inches! The design is nothing more than a glorified tray with a light-tight lid; with a slightly curved base that once loaded in the dark allows processing in daylight. The standard version comes with a dome-like base that allows manual (continuous) agitation. The Orbital also has a real plus point in that it uses far less chemistry than conventional tanks! More on this later!!

However, the Orbital requires slight modification to ensure smooth, hassle free results. The first image shows the processor fully assembled with one difference; I've replaced the original red seperator pegs with longer, white, plastic screws (these prevent sheets of film floating over the small pegs and impeding on the development process).

The second image shows the modification made to the internal lid; the pair of plastic fins that help keep the paper flat have been removed. They were removed with a hacksaw and the rough edges will be filed down - when I get 5 minutes! Without removing these fins you run the risk of uneven development as the chemistry creates flow patterns on the neg where it swirls around the fins - they might work for paper processing but are a real hindrance to film!

The original Orbital used small red pegs to separate the sheets of paper/film and work fine with the colour process for paper as the fins (now removed) prevented the sheets from floating over the pegs in the chemistry; the amount of chemical required to cover a sheet of 10x8 paper is a measley 60ml so nowhere near deep enough to alow the paper to float. However, I have run tests and have found that the optimum amount of chemistry needed for film processing is between 180 and 200ml. This is still a great deal less than most tanks use - the Combiplan used over a litre of each chemical to process 6 sheets of 5x4. However, this increased amount of chemistry means that the sheets of film can now float! The red pegs suppled are simply too short to stop the sheet film floating up and over the peg, out of its compartment and coming to rest on a neighbouring sheet and causing uneven development. An alternative was needed; plastic M3 screws are ideal and were found cheaply on Ebay for a few quid for 20! They simply push into the holes in the base and are cut in 2 lengths; the screws in the base of the tray are longer than those that fit into the "slopes". If the screws were all of equal length then the lid would not close! Those in the base are approximately 5cms long whilst the shorter ones are about 3cms in length.

The image opposite shows two of these screws in place to allow 2 sheets of 5x7 inch film to be processed.

The other modification is also shown in this image. The base of the tray is smooth and as such film has a tendency to stick to it and this interferes with removal of the anti-halation layer and also prevents even flow of chemistry. The solution often used is to roughly score the base with a "Dremmel-type" rotary tool to create a rough surface; other users simply use a sharp blade to score deep cuts - again to create a rough surface. I wanted something a bit easier/cleaner and so found a pack of clear, self-adhesive, rubber "half-domes"; I think they're intended use is underneath sheets of glass to raise it above a wooden surface (such as a worktop or desk) - again a cheap buy from Ebay! Although self-adhesive I used a small drop of Superglue Gel to make sure they stayed put. The chemicals used have no affect on them and they were positioned in a grid-layout to ensure the edges of every format of film I use was covered.

The final image shows the processor set up for 1 sheet of 5x7 inch and 2 sheets of 5x4 inch film. It is important that film is placed in the tray with the emulsion side upwards; this ensures that the chemistry covers the film evenly.

The Orbital will process up to 4 sheets of 5x4; 2 sheets of 5x7 and 1 sheet of 10x8 inch film.

I use two of these modified processors and both are fitted onto the optional motorised base - lazy I know. But the principle behind this system requires that the tray is agitated continuously and without the motorised base you are literally chained to it; manually twisting and turning the tray! It requies constant agitation due to the small amount of chemistry used - even 200ml is enough to slosh out of the pouring funnel but not enough to cover the film completely when the processor is not being agitated. The motorised base ensures even agitation and allows you to do other things whilst the film is developing!
Chemistry is simply poured out of the edge of the processor marked with the arrow and fills through the vent on top of the lid.

A few users adjust the processing time due to the fact that the film is being constantly agitated - I've tried lessening the development time and have come to the conclusion that the continuous agitation has little impact on development time.

Virgin blogger

2009-07-15T07:05:00.000-07:00

Well, thought it about time I got myself blogged up ... so here goes!